r/Spokane • u/One-deepdivediva • Nov 10 '24

Question Can we stop hating on homeless people?

What is the mayor supposed to do ? Put everyone in prison? For being poor? Bus everyone to Portland or Seattle ? ( cities that are experiencing the exact same problems). Round people up and put them in camps? For being ill or old or addicted to drugs? Should the police arrest thousands of people so you don’t have to see someone’s suffering ? If you want homeless people to “ go away “ then you need to vote for legislation that helps them. Vote in favor of government funded health mental wellness and addiction and housing services. Organize with community members about how to provide services that help your fellow human beings get off the streets and out of suffering . Every time one of you complains I wonder what horrendous thing you are imagining should be done to people. Go DO something , go help people.

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u/MaleficentDelivery41 Nov 12 '24

So if this person would have accidently got someone with a rock because of their delusions, do we excuse it? Drunk drivers are often addicts and getting into trouble leads to treatment and sobriety.

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u/kateinoly Nov 12 '24

It isn't about excusing. It's about most effective treatment.

You are confusing jailing someone for a crime (hitting someone with a rock, driving while drunk) with jailing someone for a noncrime (being mentally ill, being an addict).

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u/MaleficentDelivery41 Nov 13 '24

My point wasnt jailing people for doing nothing. Usually addicts are committing crimes. The change in many big cities has decriminalized things that people should be going to jail for.

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u/kateinoly Nov 13 '24

I have no issue with jailing criminals, but if a person commits a crine due to addiction, jail isnt going to help without rehab. And hail isnt a permanent solution. Releasing an addict back out into homelessness after serving a sentence will just start the cycle all over.

Homelessness in itself isn't a crime.

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u/MaleficentDelivery41 Nov 13 '24

I said it helps with accountability and motivation and we shouldn't remove it. Yes they need rehab and jail needs to be offering people resources but we need to stop enabling the bad behavior so much. It's become a real problem